Changes
by ktoll9
Summary: AU: A very dark story about a girl breaking away from the seedy underbelly of the world of crime that her entire life has been steeped in. WARNING: This entire story, due to subject matter, is easily considered mature and not for all readers. Rated M for very dark subject matter.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

* * *

"Hmph... Save me from them he said... and he ended up using me too." She groused as she walked down the empty street away from the studio where she had left him covered in food. At least in Kyoto she was protected by the owners of the _"ryokan"_. In Tokyo, there were so many unknown variables. If she chose to practice the craft that she had been forcibly taught in this large city, there were several criminal elements that she would have to pay homage to if she wanted to survive. In the end, he used her the same way his parents did, for money.

 _{"She's trash. She cooks, cleans and takes care of my needs. That's all she's good for. All she's ever been good for." He told his manager in a mocking tone._

" _Sho! You make it sound like she's a maid and a whore combined." She exclaimed._

 _He laughed. "Well, all things considered, that wouldn't be too far off the mark. She was sold to my parents and worked in a brothel. She knows all of the ins and outs. If you know what I mean."_

 _Shoko Aki grimaced in disgust and shook her head. "I thought you said it was a ryokan that your father owned."_

 _He shook his head and smirked. "I guess you could call it one, but a whore by any other name is still a whore."}_

She knew the truth. Kyoko had known the truth for a very long time. She knew that someone had sold her to the Fuwas. She had known since she was old enough to know the difference between a man and a woman what was expected of her at that _"ryokan"_. She knew that they catered to certain foreigner's unusual tastes in young females. That was rudely pointed out when she was very young, _The Truth_ that she didn't know, was how Sho really felt about her. Now she knew. To him, she was just another whore in his father's stable.

A wave of fear washed over her at the realization. She had left with Sho. They had run away together and his parents couldn't possibly be pleased with that notion. She quickly made her way home and began packing everything she owned. She had a hunch that someone would come looking for her soon. She would need to make some changes if she wanted to keep her freedom and health.

* * *

The talk from the other girls she met on the street had led her to this little establishment. It didn't look like much but it showed promise. It was a little salon called _**Magix**_. She had been told to ask for the _"Witch"_ if she needed a complete change, and that is exactly what she needed if she didn't want to be found by Master Fuwa or, any of the others that would surely be looking for her. She was told that the woman that she would meet wouldn't be known by any other name and the Witch would know exactly why she was there if asked for in such a way.

As she walked through the door, she could hear the sound of hair-dryers and the bells of the door. "How can I help you today Miss?" A small, curly-haired woman asked from the front desk.

"I need to speak to the Witch." Kyoko told her nervously as her eyes scanned the room.

The woman with the name-tag that read "Jelly" smiled and stood from her seat. "Follow me please." She beckoned her to follow her to a small office at the back of the shop. They entered the small office and she motioned for Kyoko to have a seat, then sat on a bright pink sofa across from her. "What can I do for you?"

Kyoko stared at the floor in shame. She had never told her entire story to anyone. She hadn't even told parts of it. Now she was going to have to tell this stranger, if she wanted any semblance of help.

"I... I was sold to a brothel when I was six." She murmured. "I ran away last year and the person that helped me escape only brought me for what I was sold for." She felt the heat behind her eyes. This was something that she had been avoiding in thought for a very long time.

Jelly Woods swallowed the pain from the familiar story she was about to hear and sat next to the 16 year-old girl. "Why don't you tell me everything..." and with that request, she did.

She told her everything, from being a house-keeper to advancing to a cook; from being a cook to being an entertainer; from being an entertainer to being the entertainment at the tender age of 12.

Stories like this always hit Jelly the hardest. She knew that if the girl had been the _"entertainment"_ at the age of 12, her _"training"_ had begun long before that. It was disgusting how some adults could use a child for something like that to line their pockets with cash and what made it worse, was this girl had been betrayed by the only one that she thought had been her friend in such a dark world.

She held the girl tightly in a hug and reassured her. "Don't worry Sweetie. Darling and I will help you start over."

Kyoko looked at her with hope in her eyes. "You can help me?"

Jelly nodded and smiled softly. "First we need to change your look. We can't have them finding you."

Kyoko nodded. "How much will I owe you?"

Jelly laughed. "Sweetie, you will owe me nothing. All I ask, is that you break away from your past. Darling and I will help you do that."

It seemed too good to be true. Everybody always wanted something and this was a very big something that she was asking for. A new identity.

* * *

In the office, in the salon known as Magix was another room. It was filled with clothing, wigs, hair extensions, makeup, mirrors, a tanning booth, a shower, a beautician's station and so much more. It had everything that one would need to become a new person.

"First we need to change your look. You have a pretty unique color of eyes. That needs to go." She had the girl sit in a chair and placed a pair of strange goggles on her. "This machine will measure your eyes so that the color contacts I give you will be comfortable."

Kyoko nodded and complied to any demands the small woman had and before she knew it, she had a box of silver-blue contacts in hand.

"Go try them on and then we'll get started." Jelly commanded.

Kyoko nodded and stared into the bathroom mirror. She opened the lens case and carefully popped the contacts into her eyes. She looked once again and marveled at the dramatic difference. She never realized how much of an impact her eye color actually had until now. She blinked and then smiled. "I could get used to this." She placed the box of contacts in the bag the Witch had given her and moved on to the next phase of her transformation.

Jelly gave her a once over inspection and hummed to herself. "Short or, long?" She asked.

Kyoko looked at her with confusion.

"Should we cut your hair or, make it longer?" Jelly mused.

"What do you think would look good?" Kyoko asked.

Jelly looked her over again. "I really don't know this time. You seem like the type that could go with just about anything and no one would be the wiser. I'm thinking long blonde hair with pink highlights, but that's me. Oh! I spoke to Darling and he is going to assign you a new name. He says you would make a really good Setsuka."

Kyoko nodded. As long as no one recognized her, she really didn't care.

"Can you speak English?" Jelly asked as she began organizing her workstation to begin the next phase.

" _ **I speak it well enough. I had to when I was in Kyoto for the clientèle."**_ Kyoko informed her as she sat in the beautician's chair.

Jelly just stared at her. "Wow... That was a perfectly clean British accent. You sound like you're from London."

Kyoko smirked. "Thank you."

Jelly nodded. "Very well. From this point on, you will only be known as Setsuka Heel. You are from London and you are here in Tokyo for your modeling career."

"Wait! What? Modeling career? I don't know how to model!" She panicked.

Jelly shook her head. "Sweetie... When I'm done with you, no one will ever know and Darling has already arranged everything." She told her as she nodded back to the computer behind them. "Don't worry so much. There are more people here to help you, than you think. The best place to hide is in plain sight." She told her as she spun her seat around and the large, black styling cape fluttered around her then settled. "Now, sit back and let me do my magic." She smiled as she patted her on the shoulder and began her work.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

* * *

It had been hours since they began and it was starting to get dark outside.

"Setsuka-chan? Do you have anywhere to stay?" The Witch asked softly as she put the finishing touches on Kyoko's hair.

Kyoko stared at the floor morosely and shook her head. "I had to leave the apartment. I didn't want to be caught. Shotaro had said something about having me sent back to Kyoto. I can't go back to that, Muse-sama. I just can't do it anymore." She plead in tears.

Ten rubbed the poor girl's back as she pulled her into her arms for a hug. "Shh... Shh... You never have to go back there again. I promise. Darling and I will protect you." She told her reassuringly. "Come now. You can stay with me until you have a place of your own." Ten smiled sweetly and helped Kyoko gather the clothing, accessories, makeup and various beauty products she used to create Setsuka, along with her new wallet with ID and authentic looking documents that declared her new identity.

Of course these documents looked real, because they were real. Lory Takarada and Jelly Woods had an agreement with the federal authorities of many governments, that when a new boy or, girl came to them for help _(especially one so young)_ they would be granted new, protected identities. So, as of the moment that Jelly Woods had informed her that she was Setsuka Heel, she really was Setsuka Heel down to every last little detail.

* * *

Lory was amazed at the transformation of this girl. Ten had sent him before and after shots and he could already see that she had the potential for greatness. It sickened him to know what had brought her to them, but lightened his heart knowing that he had just plucked another diamond from a sea of glass. She was too pretty. She would need to be guarded as her psyche mended and he had the perfect duo to do so.

He handed the envelopes to Ruto and told him to deliver them to his two best. In the morning there would be a meeting and the pair would be briefed on their task. These two would be needed considering the family that she had been taken from in Kyoto. There had been rumors on the vine, but she was actually a survivor that had made it to him. He suspected that was because the son had brought her with him, himself. How fortunate for her. Had she not made it to Lory, it was quite possible that they would be fishing her body out of the bay within a matter of days from the time that Fuwa had tired of her. Isn't that how it always worked with that segment of humanity?

Lory sat back in his chair and took a sip of scotch as he thumbed through simple modeling jobs that would take her mind off of her current circumstances. She definitely had the _**R'Mandy**_ _'RockStar'_ look and Ten suggested the cosmetics company _**Cygne Blanc**_. He would throw in a few others later on when she was more comfortable, when they were certain she didn't have any distinguishing body marks that would give her away to her former captors.

"Sofu..." A sweet voice murmured to her grandfather as she quietly slipped into his office.

He looked up at his granddaughter. "What are you still doing up Maria? I thought you had gone to bed."

She sighed. "I couldn't sleep. Who was that girl in the foyer with Ten?" She asked while rubbing her eyes sleepily.

He smiled softly. "Ahh... That would be Setsuka-chan. She'll be staying with us for awhile. You can meet her tomorrow after school. She's going to be one of my new models. Would you like to help her settle in?"

Maria nodded then grinned mischievously. "As long as she doesn't get all lovey-dovey with Ren-sama."

Lory chuckled. "I don't think you'll have a problem there." No, he had a hunch that she would be steering clear of men for awhile, considering her background. It would probably be a long time before she even considered something like that, from what Ten had told him.

* * *

She snuggled into her new bed in the room that she had been provided and for the first time since before she was six years old, she felt safe. If asked she honestly couldn't say why, but that's just how it was. Muse and Lory had treated her with the utmost respect and spoke to her as if she were a worthy human. Something that hadn't been afforded her in a very long while. They didn't shy away from her, show her pity, scowl at her with disgust or, point out that she was a whore as so many others had done over the years. They didn't order her to take off her clothes or, have her perform lewd acts for them.

They had even informed her that she would be going to see a private doctor for a check up to make sure that the years hadn't done any permanent damage to her. She had been assured that the doctor would be female, to top it all off. She had tried to tell them it was all unnecessary, even though the Fuwas were in the business, they had made certain that their girls did stay healthy and protected and she had continued with that routine when Sho had brought her to Tokyo. To her, they weren't completely horrible people. However, it was a lifestyle she had been raised into. She didn't know that something like that wasn't a common occurrence. She didn't know that because of their son, the Fuwas were now being closely watched.

She drifted off to dream of a little boy with green eyes that had comforted her, in a quiet little meadow only the two of them knew of, as she tightly clutched the little bluish-purple stone he had given her long ago.

* * *

As he sat in the sun room in the morning light, enjoying the coffee that Lory had poured for him and Yuki, he listened intently to his new assignment. This one hit a little closer to home than any other. It brought back the memories of his childhood and pushed to the front, the reasons he had started doing this in the first place. He remembered the little girl that had told him about being sold to be a toy. At the young age of 10, he didn't understand the implications, but now as an adult it made his blood boil.

It was the reason he had gone with Lory willingly when afforded the opportunities to make a difference. It was the reason he was a fourth degree black belt and the reason he was one of the few in Japan that was allowed to carry a sidearm. It was the reason he was one of Lory's best bodyguards and why Yukihito Yashiro was working with him to protect these innocents that were swept into the peddling of flesh and pleasure.

The moment he had discovered and understood what sweet little Kyoko-chan had been involved in, he had made a vow to gain the ability to find and protect her. Of course as he grew older, he realized that such a feat could quite possibly end in him discovering that she had suffered the fate of most children in her position, but he always held onto the hope of finding her one day and protecting her from those vile bastards.

"Kuon... Yuki... I want to warn you now, they _**will**_ come looking for her. She came from the Fuwas and the authorities in Kyoto have been eyeballing them for quite sometime. She's a loose end that they're going to want to tie up. She knows too much for them to let her walk freely. I need you to be extra cautious on this assignment." He warned. That would be the only thing they would know about her old life unless she told them herself. Other than that, they only knew what was in the folder that held the complete profile of Setsuka Heel, model, 16 years-old, blonde hair, icy-blue eyes with the face of a being out of a fairytale.

The moment he saw her picture, he understood. If they even remotely recognized her, they would be taking her back. She was too pretty for her own good.

"You two will be her personal escorts until further notice. Yuki, I want you to manage her and Kuon you will be her bodyguard under the guise of being her brother, Cain Heel. I need you to see Ten for the changes. You will not leave her side, it's too risky. I will let you two know when the authorities have everything under control and cleaned up enough for her to be on her own." Lory finished.

"Yes Sir. When do you want us to start?" Yuki asked.

Lory sat back in his seat. "Hmmm... I have Ten training her in modeling today and her first shoot is going to be the day after tomorrow. I want you two here this afternoon to meet your new charge and get to know her. I will let her know the circumstances after we're done here and you're with Ten." He nodded to Kuon. "You're dismissed."

The two males left the room to wait in the lounge to be called in by Ten for their changes. Kuon couldn't help but think that this assignment was going to be life changing. She was from Kyoto. Should he dare to hope that it would be her?


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

* * *

Yuki chuckled as he raked his fingers through his newly bleached locks and looked at Kuon. "So... I guess I'm the flashy blond with green eyes this time?"

The raven-haired male with icy-blue eyes glanced over at him and snickered. "I suppose that would be a good guess." He smirked. "Says here in her profile that she's a Brit. I'm guessing, as her _"Brother"_ and bodyguard, I'm going to be her translator. How's your English?"

Yuki smirked. _**"Good enough to fool a lot of people."**_

Kuon nodded. "Good, we need to make her as foreign as possible. I don't want anyone to even suspect that she has an ounce of Japanese blood in her until everything cools off and she's safe."

Yuki nodded in agreement. "I think that would be the best plan of action."

* * *

"From this point on, you will be known as Setsuka Heel. You are British, so you will not be speaking Japanese again. We cannot risk it. If there are other languages you are fluent in, it would help us to know and other than Sho Fuwa, are there any others that may recognize you?" Lory asked as his pen hovered over the notepad in front of him.

She thought quietly for a moment. _**"I am fluent in French and Italian. Um... Mr. Fuwa's manager Aki Shoko may be able to recognize me but I'm not certain. We never really met face to face for an extended period of time. Maybe his uncle Ken'Ichi..."**_ She shuddered at the thought and Lory noticed the change in her demeanor.

Lory smiled brightly to change the mood. He would need to find out more about this Uncle. _ **"Good, good. Your bodyguard and your manager will be your translators. I will introduce you to them shortly. Your bodyguard will be going under the name of Cain Heel. He will be protecting you under the guise of your brother. I have given him orders to not leave your side for any reason. This means that if you have to go to the ladies room... He will be standing outside of the stall waiting for you. At no time will you be left in a situation where others can get to you. Do you understand this?"**_

She nodded nervously. _**"Is that really necessary? I mean to be with me to that extent?"**_ She squeaked.

Lory nodded to her gravely. _**"Miss Heel... The Fuwas are a very serious business and are not to be taken lightly. Your safety is the concern of myself and a few other parties to be revealed to you at a later date. Until that time is revealed and for a time afterward, you will not be left alone at any point unless you are here at the estate. Am I clear?"**_

She nodded. _**"Yes Sir."**_ She never realized just how much danger she was in until now. _Should I have left with Sho?_

Lory saw her slightly shake. _**"Dear... Please don't worry yourself. You have people that wish to protect you from harm. We will do everything in our power to keep you safe."**_ He reassured her with a soft smile and patted her hand. They were definitely going to want her as a federal witness later.

" _ **Thank you Lory."**_ She gave him a small smile and wiped the tiny tears that had escaped.

* * *

He had to admit, she certainly didn't look anywhere near 16 and the photo that was in her profile did her absolutely no justice whatsoever. She was stunning and it amazed him when Ten had told them that she had only spent a few hours of watching videos for modeling to get that cat-like walk and the mannerisms of one of the best models out there. Ten had actually bragged to him a little about showing her his mother's show videos. Well, to put it mildly, she had it down perfectly. Everything about her reminded him of his own mother, save for the melodrama he had become accustomed to over the years.

She nodded to the new men in her life and held out her hand to greet them. _**"Gentlemen, it's nice to meet you."**_ She smiled softly with a little bit of a sexy flair.

Yuki gently shook her hand. _**"Miss Heel... My name is Yukihito Yashiro and I will be serving as your manager."**_ He smiled. _**"You can call me Yuki."**_

She nodded. _**"Thank you Yuki."**_ She turned to Kuon and glanced up at him. He felt familiar somehow. _**"And you?"**_ She asked the tall dark young man in leather that was wearing a gun harness under his leather duster.

He gently took her hand and kissed the back of it. _**"I am your brother Cain, Princess. I am here to make sure you're safe and very spoiled."**_ He wanted to kick himself after hearing the words come out of his own mouth. _Why did I have to say something like that?_ He groaned inwardly and she giggled.

" _ **I'm looking forward to that dear Brother."**_ She smiled with a slight blush. _**"Thank you."**_

They all sat down and began to get to know each other. She was politely informed that she would need to try and get rid of any behavior that would indicate that she had even an iota of Japanese formal training. She would need to seem more relaxed and laid back, low key and a little more outgoing perhaps on the verge of what could be considered rude. They tested her on her linguistic abilities and were blown away by her ability to learn and adapt quickly. Kuon decided that he should teach her Russian just in case the need arose for them to communicate exclusively around others.

By the end of their meeting, Yuki informed her of her scheduling and Kuon let her know he would be by to pick her up in the morning for her first photo-shoot. They would be meeting Yuki at the site and she should dress to ride a motorcycle. He would provide a jacket and helmet for her when he picked her up, each with bullet resistant qualities.

Kuon rubbed her shoulder when he saw the worry in her eyes. _**"Don't worry Setsu.**_ _**It's just a precaution."**_ He told her reassuringly and she believed him with all of her heart, without reservation.

* * *

Once again she would sleep peacefully and awaken more refreshed. She giggled as the little sprite came bounding into her room and jumped on her bed. She wasn't quite sure why this child had taken a liking to her so quickly. All she had done is scold her for the crocodile tears and informed her that others wouldn't always come running to comfort her for a few tears, that she needed to work out whatever problems she had on her own or, be left behind in life, when she found her objecting to something that the nanny had told her to do.

Now it seemed as though she had gained a little girl that called her _Big Sister_ and for once, she had met a child whose future wasn't to be steeped in tragedy.

" _ **Big Sister, Setsu! Time to get up! Grandpa says it's your first day! Time to eat breakfast!"**_ The little sprite sang as she jumped on the end of the queen-sized canopy bed, draped in satin and lace.

Kyoko groaned and rolled over, then giggled. Even though it was a jolting way to wake up, it was a wonderful way start her day. She had never been met with so much joy and energy in her life and it was the most wonderful feeling in the world. She hoped, deep down, that this would never end.

She rolled out of bed, tickled the little sprite and straightened her bedding. She gathered her clothing that she would need for the day and showered in her en-suite bathroom. She arranged her hair as the Muse had instructed and applied her makeup after putting in her contact lenses. She donned her piercings and the little lip-ring that the Muse had given her. She checked her studded leather bag for her ID, her small makeup kit, her lens case and solution, spare lenses, and finally the little coin purse that the Muse had given her for her Corn-stone.

She looked in the mirror at the new girl she had become and nodded. _**"Okay Setsuka... Today is the first day of the rest of your life."**_ She smirked sexily. _**"Please take care of me."**_ She nodded and grabbed her things to join her new little sister for breakfast.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

* * *

The words, "You're lucky you're my only son or, you would be floating in the bay as a eunuch." floated sinisterly through his mind since last night. This was the reason he was sitting in Mimori's dressing room with her head between his legs at the moment. He needed a distraction and Shoko was such a damn prude about it, he had to come to his good little doggy. Certainly she was never as satisfying as Kyoko had been but, what could he do?

Sure he had known that his father would send someone to come get her eventually, but he never dreamed she would take off, leave the apartment barren and drop off the face of the planet. He was worried. Not for her, but himself. If they didn't find her soon, he would end up compensating his father for the loss and that is not an amount of money he wished to part with at the moment or, ever. How was he supposed to know she had been his father's prize? To him, she was just some plain common whore that grew up next to him and followed him around when they were kids. It's not like she was forced into it. _(she was)._ It's not like he loved her. _(She thought he did.)_ She was nothing to him but a convenience. He was Sho Fuwa, he could get that anywhere.

She looked up at him with wide eyes and smiled. "Did I do good Sho-chan?"

He smirked and let out a relaxed sigh, then nodded.

"Good enough for a kiss?" She murmured in a small, hopeful voice.

He glanced down at her with a veiled panicked look. "Maybe later after you brush your teeth. I can't kiss you after something like that, it's gross." He told her callously.

She stood up and glanced at the floor in shame. "Sorry... I forgot."

He stood up and arranged his clothing, zipped up his pants and buckled his belt. "Come on now... I'll see you later." He told her as he began to leave.

"Promise?" She asked hopefully.

He grinned. "Promise." He told her as he left the room and shut the door behind him, thanking his lucky stars he got out without the tears this time. He shoved his hands in his pockets, turned down the hall and started down the long hallway of the photo studio. He glanced up and noticed a pair of feminine motorcycle boots, long, lean athletic legs clad in tight leather and the blonde goddess they were attached to. He noticed a pair of light-blue eyes that looked as though they were carved from ice and he finally, to his dismay, noticed the arm of a very dangerous looking man that was wrapped around said goddess. If the foreboding aura didn't put him off, the glimpse of the gun harness he wore did. That was a man that one should not mess with. He had learned that long ago back in Kyoto with his father. One did not carry a sidearm if they had no intention of using it and it was not something he wanted used on him.

For once in his short life, Sho Fuwa made a wise decision and gave the dangerous looking pair a wide berth. He was not about to incur the wrath of a licensed bodyguard that looked to be surgically attached to his charge.

" _ **Where are we supposed to meet Yuki?"**_ Her dulcet tones caressed his ears and he turned to watch her perfect ass walk away from him.

" _ **Don't worry, he said he'll be waiting near your dressing room."**_ The man he now nicknamed Shinigami, answered in an almost loving tone, that sent shivers down his spine.

He watched in awe as the dangerous pair turned down the hall that led to the other dressing rooms where he had just come from. Perhaps he would ask Mimori who it was later. I couldn't hurt to stay informed of all the new faces in the entertainment industry, especially the beautiful ones attached to a body like that.

* * *

He had done his research after Lory had handed him her file. He knew about the little cockroach they had passed in the hall and he was impressed by her immersion. He had expected some kind of reaction that he would have to cover and react on to keep her identity a secret, but she waited until they reached the inner sanctum of her dressing room before breaking. _Yes, very impressive._

" _ **You okay?"**_ He asked with concern.

She nodded as she rifled through her bag and found the little coin purse where her little stone lay safely.

His eyes went wide as she pulled it out and sighed deeply in relief.

" _ **I'm fine now. I'll be okay."**_ She told him and he was baffled by the revelation and thoroughly convinced that she was truly okay.

The stone looked very familiar. Too familiar. Perhaps he would ask her about it at the end of the day. He didn't want to bring any more stress to her than she had already experienced with being in the same hall as Fuwa. _Well, at least the little punk was clueless enough not to recognize her._ He hoped. They would know soon enough. Probably by the end of the day. If they were lucky, he was a stupid horny teenager and couldn't see past his own selfish desires.

* * *

" _ **Stay alert, Fuwa was here."**_ Kuon whispered to Yuki in Russian as the pair watched her expertly sail through her first photo-shoot.

Yuki nodded. _**"Considering what I've heard around about him, we may see more of him."**_ Yuki warned.

Kuon sighed in frustration. There were so many variables in this assignment now. So many unknowns and it worried him. He didn't need the little bastard sniffing around like some animal in rut.

" _ **He tends to collect models like they're baseball cards. There's all kinds of rumors around about him and his manager. We'll just need to keep a closer watch on her and make sure he doesn't get too near her."**_ Yuki commented as he grabbed a bottle of water and left to give it to Setsuka.

Kuon leaned against the wall, pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

"Is that a real gun?" A high-pitched feminine voice asked as he took in a deep drag and exhaled.

He glanced down and silently ignored said female.

"My name's Mimori-chan, what's yours?" She asked, not the least bit worried about the man leaning on the wall. "You know you aren't supposed to smoke here?"

Kuon grunted and went back to watching Yuki and Setsuka.

She finally gave up trying to get a response from Kuon and just stood there silently as Yuki returned with Setsuka.

" _ **One more set and we can go to lunch Big Brother."**_ Setsuka smiled.

Kuon nodded.

"Oh! It's Mimori-chan's turn soon. You're new here so you can watch me and see how it's done." She commented and it sounded a little petty to Setsuka, but she played it off as if she didn't understand what was being said.

Kuon snorted at the comment. _**"Hey Setsu, looks like this studio has a rat infestation."**_ He was so hoping the little diva knew English. He really hated women like her. They were only as good as their looks that would quickly fade and soon their attitudes would shine through, leaving them with nothing in the end.

Setsuka giggled. _**"Should we have Yuki call an exterminator?"**_

Yuki rolled his eyes at the pair. They were getting way too into their gifted personae. _**"You two need to behave yourselves."**_ He scolded with a chuckle. They reminded him of a pair of twins he had met once, when he was younger. He couldn't have possibly known that after seeing the stone, Kuon completely relaxed and felt the need to allow her admittance into his inner circle almost immediately.

"Hmph... You know it's rude to not speak Japanese around a Japanese person. You should treat Mimori with more respect. Mimori's boyfriend is Sho-chan and he can make sure you don't get any more jobs." She threatened.

Yuki just stood there staring at the brazen little tart in shock, not knowing how to respond and Kuon just chuckled.

"Grow up little girl and learn how to talk in first person. I don't give a shit who your boyfriend is." Kuon smiled brightly, stunning the female to silence. "Now, why don't you run along and pretend you know what you're doing so my lovely sister and I can go get lunch instead of waiting on you all day?"

"Cain..." Yuki growled. "Behave yourself."

Setsuka just stared at the pair, pretending that she had no idea what was said. _**"Yuki?"**_

Yuki turned to Setsuka and smiled. _**"Never mind Miss Heel. Your Brother was just being rude."**_

Setsu giggled and raised an eyebrow. _**"Okay... If that's what you're going with."**_

Mimori left in a huff and guessed that her modeling rival had no idea what was said to her. She would definitely let Sho-chan know about that horrible rude pair of gaijin siblings.

After one hour and several temper tantrums, the photo-shoot was finally over and the trio would catch lunch on the way to her next appointment, a commercial with _Cygne Blanc_.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

* * *

All in all, their first day had gone quite well, barring the brush with Fuwa and the entertainment that was his little lap-dog. The photographers loved how professional she was and the director of the commercial was impressed with her unpolished acting skills.

Haruki Asami couldn't believe that the girl had never done anything and the fact that she did so well while needing a translator, was even more impressive. Although, the young woman's brother was a little scary and she found the fact that he carried a gun a little disturbing, but she quickly calmed herself when the manager informed her that he was also her licensed bodyguard with documentation to prove it. She thought maybe she could talk Lory Takarada into letting the girl star in one of Sho's PVs. She seemed like his type.

* * *

Lory groaned inwardly as he listened to the proposal the director/producer gave him over the phone, practically begging him for his approval. He shook his head. "I'm very sorry Asami-san, Setsuka-chan is not available for anything involving Fuwa-san."

"But why? She's a perfect fit." She asked. Lory was normally so willing to help out in these matters of the heart, if they were sincere; however, he had serious doubts about this particular match and she wondered why.

Lory smirked into the phone and gave her a serious tone. "Her brother would never approve. He's very protective of her and he doesn't want her reputation damaged by someone like Fuwa-san."

"Someone like Sho? I... I don't know what you mean by that." She huffed indignantly.

"Come now... We've both heard the rumors. Do you actually think I would let one of my girls anywhere near that boy? Seriously... Think about it. If I didn't know better I would think you were trying to hire her on as a playmate for Fuwa-san." He teased.

She was silent for a moment.

"Your silence is very telling Asami-san. I suggest you think very carefully before contacting me again for one of my female talents. I run a talent agency, not an escort service. Do not contact me again regarding hiring anyone for that young man. Am I clear on this?" He told her in a syrupy, venomous tone.

"I... I'm very sorry I gave that impression Takarada-san. I will be more careful in the future. I'm sorry to waste your time." The awkward call ended.

Lory sighed. "Ruto... I need you to pull all of the files on the females that have done work for anyone at Akatoki. I want to see how many of our girls have been _"hired"_ to work with Sho Fuwa."

Ruto silently nodded and left to carry out his task.

Lory groaned and typed in a note on his computer then sent out a company-wide memo for his department heads. "I have a very bad feeling about this."

* * *

Usually things like this were relatively simple. She would get the name from Sho, then she would call the talent agency the girl belonged to and set up a meeting. No hassle, no problem. If there was a refusal, she would call the girl's manager directly and make the offer as a work around. Aki Shoko had never had this many problems trying to make contact before. She had been told that the foreign girl that Sho wanted for his PV simply did not exist in the LME database. How could that be? Asami had told her that Lory Takarada himself had sent her over for the commercial, so why was the talent department, the acting department, and the modeling section telling her that they had no idea who this girl was? She wasn't even listed on their website.

Shoko wondered if she was on loan from another agency. Mimori did tell them that the girl obviously didn't speak Japanese. This little tidbit, unfortunately stirred up Sho's interest even more. Now he was going to be impossible to be around if she couldn't give him more information on the girl, other than what was guessed by the jealous little sex-toy that Sho was playing with at the moment.

She sighed in frustration. "Something wrong Shoko?" Sho asked as he came in and draped himself on the small sofa in her office.

She shook her head. "No... Just can't find anything more than what you gave me on that girl you wanted me to find for you."

He gave a low, irritated growl. "So what? Can you not find out who her manager is?"

She shook her head. "She's not listed with LME and they refuse to give me her manager's information."

He closed his eyes and lazily rested with his arms behind his head. "Call Asami. She can usually get the information."

"Not this time Sho. Takarada-san... Lory Takarada himself told her... Um, he told her he didn't run an escort service. Asami told me that you shouldn't expect to have access to any more LME talents either." She cringed, waiting for his inevitable adverse reaction.

He sat up. "Who the hell does he think he is? Doesn't he know who I am?"

She sighed and shook her head again. "Sho... He's the owner and President of LME and LME International. If denies you access to his talents, it's his prerogative. He doesn't need permission to do so. If you want more information on her, you're going to have to use your own resources because I've exhausted all mine."

He laid back down and groaned inwardly. There was no way his outlet for information was going to help him on this. He was supposed to be either paying for his family's loss or, finding her and ensuring her return. Ken'Ichi Katagiri would absolutely not help him with this little puzzle.

* * *

She was finally getting comfortable around him, not that she wasn't to begin with. For a reason that escaped her, it felt like they had known each other for a lifetime. It had been a week since they had initially met and about 4 or, 5 days since he had seen that stone. He had this nagging feeling that this was something he needed to tell her. He had another feeling that she needed a friend.

" _ **Setsu..."**_ She looked up as he sat next to her. _**"I need to ask you a few questions. All I want you to do right now is give me a nod or, a shake as an answer."**_ She started to speak and he shushed her with a finger on her lips. _**"Nod or, shake."**_ He told her quietly and she nodded as they sat in the library of the Takarada mansion.

" _ **Okay... I'm going to ask you about that stone, alright?"**_ He told her quietly. He didn't want anyone listening to this conversation. She nodded.

" _ **You're from Kyoto..."**_ She nodded. He already knew this. It wasn't in her profile but Lory had told him.

" _ **You got it when you were a little girl from a little boy you thought was a fairy?"**_ He murmured. Her eyes went wide and she nodded slowly.

" _ **Did you call that little boy Corn?"**_ He leaned in and whispered with a smile as he watched her nod slowly.

He pulled a lens case out of his pocket, removed his lenses and looked back up at her with green eyes. He leaned in right next to her ear and whispered just loud enough for her to hear. _**"Hello again, Kyoko-chan. It's me Kuon."**_ He pulled away to see tears streaming down her cheeks, then pulled her into a tight comforting hug. _**"Shh... Shh... It's okay Princess."**_ He told her as she clung to him, sobbing. _**"I'm here to protect you. Shh..."**_ He gently kissed her temple. _**"I'm so sorry, Princess. So, so sorry. Had I known..."**_

She shook her head. _**"You didn't know Corn..."**_ She murmured into his shirt.

He chuckled. _ **"It's Kuon, Kyoko-chan but for now, call me Cain when other people are around and this will be the only time I say your name like that. I don't want anyone to find out who you are. There are some dangerous people that are looking for you and I don't want to be the reason they find you."**_

She nodded and gave him a small smile. _**"Thank you Cain."**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter 6**_

* * *

It was infuriating. Poochie kept hounding him, his uncle kept nagging him about finding the stupid whore and he couldn't get any information on Setsuka Heel that wasn't available to anyone else. At least he got a little farther than that incompetent, useless woman that called herself his manager. When he discovered that there was an LME International, he surfed the web until he found it and there she was, bigger than life: British model Setsuka Heel, born on Christmas Day, 16 years-old, eyes like winter ice, Platinum-blonde hair, a body that just won't quit, and milky ivory skin that looked as soft as the finest silk. He couldn't help but think she would be the perfect match for him.

He saved her cover photo to his phone's background. Now all he had to do is ask around and find out her scheduling and maybe chat her up, impress her with his winning personality, his irresistible good looks and get her to ditch the bodyguard. Shouldn't be too hard. The only problem is that Poochie said she didn't speak Japanese. He smirked. He didn't need to know any foreign languages for what he had in mind. He would let his fingers do the walking and she would get his message loud and clear. He wasn't a talented musician for nothing and he'd never had any complaints. He just needed to get close enough to work his magic.

* * *

 _When did they get this close?_ Yuki asked himself as he uncomfortably watched the pair of pseudo-siblings. _Did I miss something?_ He furrowed his brow. This was so uncharacteristic of Kuon. He had never let a female get this close to him, much less a client. The pair was behaving as though they had known each other for a life-time. _Brothers do not stroke their sisters with that look on their faces and sisters most certainly do not cling to their brothers like that, at least not a pair of siblings in a healthy relationship._ He paled at the uncomfortable thought.

" _ **Yuki? Are you alright?"**_ She asked him in Russian. He guessed today was a Russian day. They had been switching languages each day to become more fluent for the past 2 months. Initially he had been blown away at the speed with which she had picked up that language, but then he had learned that she had been taught the basics of it when she was younger. She didn't divulge when, where or, why. Kuon seemed to know but never said anything either. He wasn't sure he wanted to know, all things considered.

He nodded. _**"I'm fine Setsuka. Just a little hungry."**_ He told her and now that he thought about it, it wasn't so much of a lie.

" _ **Hmm, come to think of it... perhaps we should go to dinner after this interview."**_ She looked up at Cain and smiled.

Cain nodded in agreement. _**"Anything for you Princess."**_ He smirked with a wink and rubbed her arm.

Yuki rolled his eyes and pulled out his planner to double check that they had enough time to stop and enjoy a meal.

Finally the mascot for the show she was to appear on, had arrived to escort Setsuka and her _"Brother/Translator/Bodyguard"_. She giggled at the glowering chicken. _**"I'm very sorry. You're just so cute."**_ She smiled brightly and snuggled into Cain.

Bo looked at her blankly.

Cain chuckled. "My sister gives her apologies. She thinks you are cute." He told her in a thick Russian accent.

Bo groaned and what sounded like "Mo..." came out in a female voice from the costume. Kanae Kotonami begrudgingly held up the white-board that said. **"Please Follow Me."**

Cain nodded and escorted his sister to the stage as Yuki stood just offstage to watch the show. _Please let no bad happen._ He silently prayed while sending Kuon a quick text message as they took their seats. The musical guest was going to be Sho Fuwa. He had been a last minute addition and Yuki had just found out.

Kuon felt the buzz in his pocket and checked the message covertly. He nodded and showed Setsu the message. Her eyes went a little wide and she glanced at him with worry.

" _ **Does he know English?"**_ He murmured into her ear and she nodded.

" _ **I think so... but I'm not 100% sure."**_ She whispered back with her small hand gently resting on his chest.

" _ **What about other languages?"**_ He asked quietly.

She shook her head.

" _ **Good, we'll just keep it Russian then. Okay?"**_ He smiled softly and kissed her temple. _**"Don't worry... I'll keep you safe."**_ He stroked her cheek and Yuki was having a melt-down backstage.

She nodded then curled up next to Cain on the sofa with her legs off to the side so that their Musical Guest would have to sit across from them on a chair.

Hikaru, Shinichi and Yuusei Ishibashi came out and took their seats, trying to keep their composure as they watched the little goddess and the shinigami interact. Yuusei cleared his throat to get their attention and smiled.

"Um... Setsuka-chan? Would you like some tea before we start the show?" Hikaru asked with a smile.

Setsuka looked at him blankly then back at Cain.

Cain smiled. He loved it that she could act like she didn't understand a word they said to her. He turned to her and repeated what Hikaru had asked in Russian.

She nodded and Bo left to get the requested items.

"Um... Setsuka-chan's manager said that your name is Cain?" Shinichi asked.

Cain nodded and Setsuka tugged on his sleeve to get his attention and he told her what was said.

Setsuka nodded and said, _**"Oh..."**_

Hikaru looked over at Setsuka then back at Cain and swallowed a little nervously. "Let me explain a little bit about the show..." He saw Cain whispering to her. "Um... First we'll ask about your modeling projects, then you can talk about your contracts..." Cain whispered again and she nodded. "and then we have a segment where the audience submits questions and you get to pick randomly from a basket, which ones to answer." Cain finished.

"Um... Cain-san?" Cain looked over at him with a placid look. "Is everything okay?"

Cain nodded. "Yes, why?"

"Well, you keep whispering something to Setsuka-chan. Is she nervous about the show?" Yuusei asked.

Cain chuckled. "She's fine... I'm her translator. She doesn't speak or, understand Japanese. Just speak to her normally and I'll make sure to let her know what you've said."

Setsuka looked at the three hosts then at Cain curiously. _**"Cain? Is something wrong?"**_

And her voice was like music to Hikaru Ishibashi's poor flushed ears. He cleared his throat and took a sip of water.

" _ **Everything's fine, Princess."**_ He smiled softly and some of the newly arrived, female audience members sighed.

"Three minutes!" The AD announced from behind the scenes.

Hikaru nodded. "Okay... We have three more minutes. Are there any questions?"

Cain translated and Setsuka shook her head in the negative then smiled beautifully, catching everyone off guard. Kuon was controlling the urge to shuffle her off the stage and hide her. Seriously pondering if he could actually get away with it, then remembered that Yuki was waiting in the wings to scold him and probably give him a mountain load of crap if he did.

Everything went smoothly. She remained calm and in character even when Fuwa groped the chicken and made rude comments. She even kept her facade of not understanding a word he said as he sat across from her and tried to openly flirt with her while Cain held her closely and translated what Bridge Rock was saying. Although, she did slip a bit when he leered at her one too many times.

She tilted her head as if she were confused and looked up at Cain and smiled. "Child?"

Cain chuckled and she patted Cain's chest. "Man..."

Sho's smile fell from a smirk to a scowl. "I though she didn't know Japanese." He spat out.

Cain smirked at him. "Well... That would be the extent of her knowledge, Fuwa-san."

"Hmph... Well whomever is teaching her is doing a bad job." He grumbled.

"Not really..." Cain commented offhandedly then ignored whatever the VK had mumbled after that.

After the show was done, Sho quickly exited the stage to his manager, who was standing in the same area as Yuki. Sho looked at Shoko and said in a voice just loud enough to be overheard by Yuki as he passed, "Someone needs to show that little bitch her place. Show her the difference between a child and a man."

Yuki looked at him shocked and watched as Aki Shoko followed him with her head down, like a servant.

"Sho you really need to calm down. It would be bad for your image if anyone heard you." She warned.

He stopped and sneered at her. "Shut up and do your damn job. Useless woman." Then continued to walk.

Yuki shook his head and decided that Takarada-san would definitely need to hear about this entire ordeal. He had a feeling that the producers were going to get a call in the morning about the behavior of the VK singer and the harassment that the mascot received. After all, Bridge Rock were members of LME and from what he gathered, so was the chicken and it wasn't like Lory needed that particular producer anyway. The man could fund the entire show on his own if he chose to.

Needless to say, the director and the producer were contacted that evening and a certain clip that hadn't been aired made it's way to a very eccentric talent agent to view at his leisure.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7**_

* * *

Kanae Kotonami was certain that when she was called into Lory Takarada's office the day after her disastrous chicken debut, she would be fired on the spot. The producer for Yappa Kimagure Rock had blamed her for that lecherous jackass feeling her up and groping her on the show. Instead, she was apologized to by said producer and asked if she knew English by Takarada-san.

She gave him a confused look and nodded. Lory turned back to the producer and dismissed him. "Kotonami-san, I have a LoveME assignment for you. One of my new talents is feeling a little isolated and she's new to Japan. I would like for you to spend some time with her and make her feel a little more at home." He explained. "I think it would do both of you some good."

She rolled her eyes. "Mo... Fine. Who is this talent?"

He nodded and smiled, thankful that she didn't put up an argument this time. "It would be Setsuka-chan."

Kanae smirked. "Setsuka-san?" She smirked. "You mean the girl that called Fuwa a child last night?"

Lory chuckled and nodded. "That would be her. I thought you might appreciate meeting her. Her manager was the one that brought last night's little event to my attention."

Kanae gave him a shocked look. No one had ever done anything like that for her before.

"Before you leave... I would like to ask you a question." He told her remembering how many of his female talents had been harassed, strung along and insulted by Sho Fuwa and his manager.

"Have you ever had any other dealings with Fuwa-san before last night?" He asked her in a serious tone that sent a shiver down her spine.

"I can happily say sir, no I have not had the displeasure of working with that idiot until last night's fiasco." She growled.

Lory nodded. "Thank you Kotonami-san. I will send Setsuka-chan and her brother to the LoveME Office later to meet you." He waved her away for her dismissal.

"Thank you Sir." She gave him a small bow and left practically in a daze at what had just happened. "Wow..."

* * *

Shoko winced as the beer can went flying and hit the wall next to her television.

"What the hell!? I thought you said they weren't going to show that! You said it was going to be erased!" Sho ranted, kicking over the ottoman.

"I'm sorry Sho... I watched them erase it! Someone must have made a copy and sent it out beforehand." Shoko told him not knowing how they were going to fix this mess before Akatoki called or, even have a plan of action before then.

"You're useless!" He stomped out of the room to his bedroom that he shared with the woman and slammed the door to sulk.

Shoko just sighed and pulled out her phone to call her boss.

While she was briefly on hold, she went around straightening the mess Sho had made of her apartment. She was starting to feel like his maid and personal whore. She froze a little at the thought. Her brow furrowed. _He wouldn't..._

"Aki Shoko... I was just about to call you." A angry voice lilted through the phone line.

"Akatoki-sama... I would like to apologize for taking up your time, but I have something important that I need to discuss with you as soon as possible." She told her nervously.

Miranda Akatoki sighed. "Aki... I know this isn't your fault. I just would have thought that you had a better handle on your charge. Why don't you bring him in within the hour and we can discuss a strategy on how to spin this mess? I'm sure he has a very good explanation." She finished dryly. She was certain that the boy's excuses were going to be quite entertaining.

"Yes ma'am." The call was ended and Shoko was glad that part of the ordeal was over. At least she hadn't been fired, yet.

She finished cleaning the apartment and softly knocked on the bedroom door. "Sho... We have to go. We have an appointment with the CEO."

The door flung open and he stomped out. "Fine."

* * *

He wasn't comfortable with the idea at all. He felt it was just too risky to allow her to go out and about, but he also knew that he couldn't keep her cooped up in the mansion all of the time. Sure it was a nice place to live and there were plenty of things to do on the Estate, but it was like a gilded cage. She needed to be able to go out, meet people, spread her wings. He would just need to adapt.

 _She does look a little happier._ He thought as he leaned on the wall, a little out of the way, in the small ice cream shop. He wondered if she had any friends growing up in the environment that had been forced on her. He suspected not. He suspected that the one that had brought her to Tokyo probably used her just like all the others. He grimaced inwardly at that thought and remembered what Yuki had told him the previous night after they had taken her home.

 _{The silence in the car was stifling after they had made sure that she was safely in Ruto's custody._

" _I made sure to forward a copy of the show to Takarada-san, along with what I secretly recorded." Yuki informed him._

 _Kuon glanced away from the road and back. "What else was there?"_

 _Yuki sighed. "You aren't going to like it."_

" _That may be the case, but I still need to know. He's been a concern of mine from day one." Kuon told him, hiding the disdain that he held for the arrogant teen._

" _I kind of figured that. That's why I recorded everything..." He smirked._

 _Kuon glanced at him again, shooting him a worried look. "Everything? He didn't see you did he?"_

 _Yuki laughed. "Have a little faith Kuon." He tapped his glasses. "I used that new little toy you got for me."_

 _Kuon smirked. "Yuki... You are a genius."_

 _Yuki nodded and chuckled. "Yes, I know... I know... How about we look over what we got over coffee?"_

 _After all of the footage was reviewed and the last drops of coffee were sitting cold in their cups, it had been confirmed by the pair, that they needed to make every effort to keep this young man and his submissive manager far from Setsuka, and Kuon needed to tell Yuki what he knew.}_

* * *

Miranda Akatoki sat at her desk rubbing her temples after watching the recording that had been emailed to her that starred her newest acquisition. She had tried to respond to the email to discover it's origins, but to her displeasure, discovered that it had been a dummy email address and everything she sent, came back to her as an error. As it stood, if this person decided to release this little tidbit, there was nothing she could do about it. She was now seriously contemplating the reasoning behind hiring this young man and combing over his contract for anything that would help her in his dismissal if the need presented itself.

 _ **Bzzt...**_

"Akatoki-sama, Fuwa-san and Aki Shoko are here to see you." The voice came in over the intercom.

She leaned back in her seat and pressed the button on her phone. "Okay, send them in."

She watched closely as the arrogant young idol came strutting in like a peacock in rut. She shook her head. She had hoped when she initially signed him on, that his motives had actually been for the world to hear his music but sadly, she discovered he was like all the rest. She wondered what she was doing wrong and why she couldn't find the quality of stars like Lory Takarada did. He really didn't seem to have all of the problems with his talents that she did.

"Have a seat..." She told him evenly and the young man complied. "Shoko-san, make yourself comfortable, you both will be here for quite some time." She finished and turned to her computer where the videos she had received were stored.

They sat there for a good while in silence until her assistant came in with the tea service and began pouring the refreshments. She took a long sip of her tea while watching the manager and her charge slowly get more uncomfortable over time. She raised a brow and gave them both a pointed look. "Do you know why you're here?" She directed the question at Sho and Aki started to answer.

Miranda shook her head and held up her hand to silence the woman. "I'm asking Fuwa-san."

Aki stopped immediately and went back to drinking her tea.

"Well, Fuwa-san?" She focused her attention on him.

He cleared his throat nervously. This woman held his contract. He needed to hold his tongue with her or, his precious career would be over in an instant. A fact that galled him. A woman had absolute power over his life and that did not set well in his gut. "I suppose it's regarding what was broadcast on the entertainment news last night and this morning, from the interview at Kimagure Rock." He told her as he stared at a little imperfection in the wood on the front of her desk.

She calmly took another sip of her tea. "That would be one of the many reasons I suppose; however, the two main reasons are sitting in my computer at the moment. The first being an email from Lory Takarada himself, informing me that you, young man, will no longer have unfettered access to any of his talents for any project that you are involved in. Honestly, when I read that I wondered exactly how that came about and why he was informing me that he was not running an escort service for my top talents." She looked over at Aki. "Then the answer came to me in the form of two interesting videos. The first being your little stunt at the interview and the second being only what I can assume is your behavior afterwards." She turned the somewhat large computer monitor to face the pair and clicked on a file. "This was sent to me from an untraceable email address."

 _{Sho looked at Shoko and said in a voice just loud enough to be overheard by the person recording as he passed, "Someone needs to show that little bitch her place. Show her the difference between a child and a man."_

 _The video's recorder watched as Aki Shoko followed Sho with her head down, like a servant._

" _Sho you really need to calm down. It would be bad for your image if anyone heard you." She warned._

 _He stopped and sneered at her. "Shut up and do your damn job. Useless woman." Then continued to walk.}_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8**_

* * *

Sho and Aki watched the video in horror and combed their minds for whomever could have possibly made the video. No one came to mind. They both had been so unaware of their surroundings last night after the interview, that they never noticed the very professional, stoic manager that seemed to be nose deep in a leather-bound planner that he kept his charge's scheduling in.

Miranda Akatoki was satisfied by their reaction. "Now Fuwa-san... I am sincerely interested in knowing exactly how you plan on carrying out your statement with one of LME International's fastest rising new talents. Although, I would highly advise against it. From what I understand, her brother and her manager are very protective of her and they never leave her side." She asked with interest.

Sho's mouth opened and then closed. "I... I was just angry! I didn't really mean that!"

"I would hope not. I would have to release you if that were the case or, did you not read your contract when you signed on with Akatoki?" She glanced up from the folder she had pulled out and could tell immediately that he hadn't. She sighed, pulled out a yellow highlighter and a small stack of papers from the folder then began slashing yellow across the paper like a seasoned fencing master. She smiled when she was done and slid the stack to him. She shot Aki Shoko a scathing glare when she had attempted to reach it and Aki withdrew her hand.

Sho carefully picked up the small stack of papers and noticed it was a copy of his contract. His eyes trailed down to the blindingly highlighted area and began reading.

 _**If at any time while an Artist is under the employ of Akatoki Entertainment, said Artist is involved in any situation or occurrence which subjects the Artist to public scandal, disrepute, widespread contempt, public ridicule, [_ _ _or which is widely deemed by members of the general public, to embarrass, offend, insult or denigrate individuals or groups,__ _] or that will tend to shock, insult or offend the community or public morals or decency or prejudice, Akatoki Entertainment reserves in its sole discretion, to take any action it deems appropriate, including but not limited to the termination of the employment of the Artist.**_ F.S. _(He had initialed it, indicating that he had read it.)_

She watched as Sho's eyes went wide with understanding. He realized that if anyone ever saw that little video clip or, if they discovered the family business or, if they even discovered that he brought Kyoko to Tokyo with him, his life as the Number One Recording Artist would immediately end.

"I suggest you and your manager cobble together an appropriate apology to release to the public immediately and send me the draft or, I will have to take action. I cannot allow you to run freely when I hold all of my talents to the same standards. If I find that the candid video has been released or, if there are any others like it out there, your contract will be terminated and you will need to find employment somewhere else." She informed them with a calm that sent chills down their spines. "You are dismissed. I suggest you get to work on the public apology, how you wish to have it delivered and your new album. I would also advise that you remove yourself from your _female_ manager's apartment immediately."

The two quickly left to do as she had ordered.

* * *

" _ **It's nice having another girl to talk to."**_ Setsu giggled. She glanced at Cain and smiled. _**"There are just some things that brothers can't understand."**_ She whispered.

" _ **Mo... I guess I can see where you're coming from but I can't say that I have your problem. I would prefer that my family leave me alone completely. I would go crazy with an overly attentive brother like Cain."**_ Kanae whispered back.

Setsuka gave her a little frown. _**"He's not overly attentive. He just cares a lot. I don't mind."**_

Kanae held up her hands in surrender. _**"No... I get it. You two don't have any other family. It's understandable now that I've heard it from you, but you two might not want to act so closely. Most people wouldn't understand, not knowing your situation."**_

Setsu smirked. _**"I suppose that's their problem."**_

 ** _~xoxo~_**

"This is all your fault!" He railed as he slammed the lounge door after entering.

Alright, she had, had just about enough of his treatment. Aki was getting pretty tired of being walked on by this little womanizing ass. "My fault... My fault you can't keep your dick in your pants for one moment! My fault you have to chase after every available female like you're a dog in heat! My fault you're too damn lazy to do anything for yourself! My fault you think you're the most talented being on the planet, so you can get away with anything you want! WELL GUESS WHAT! YOU. ARE. NOT! I told you to read over your contract before you initialed and signed! I asked you if you wanted to have your uncle look over it first because he's a lawyer! I'm not the one that made that threat at TBM and I'm most certainly NOT the one that groped the Bridge Rock mascot to find out if it was another girl for you to potentially screw! I am not your maid... I am not your piece of ass... and I am not your babysitter; although, you need one. I am your manager." She poked him in the chest as he stood there stunned. "My only obligation to you is to get you jobs and organize your schedule! If you want to fuck up all of your relationships and your life... that is entirely up to you. LEAVE ME OUT OF IT! Make your own damn apology and next time you get into trouble, find another patsy! I want you out of my apartment by tomorrow night!" She turned and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

"What the fuck is her problem? Must be on her period." He grumbled and flopped onto the sofa. "Meh, she'll get over it and come crawling back, they always do." He smirked and dozed off for a little nap to clear his head. He was right they always did, well maybe except for one. One that he really had to find and to top it off, he had to make a stupid apology for the way that little slut Setsuka made him act with her stupidity.

* * *

In the shadows of the parking garage of Akatoki Entertainment waited a man for a woman. From his insider, he had gathered the information that this particular female would finally be willing to speak to him. He needed information on a certain family and this woman just may be able to give it to him, whether she knew or, not.

The man that approached Aki Shoko was a little taller than the average Japanese male, well-dressed, dark hair neatly combed and wore glasses. He seemed professional. "Aki Shoko?"

She turned to see a man with black hair and golden eyes. "Yes?"

He seemed to sigh in relief. He held out a card and handed it to her. It read: Susumu Todoh, Private Investigation, and it included his phone number and the address to his office. "If you don't mind, I would like to ask you a few questions about Shotaro Fuwa and a girl that he brought to Tokyo with him."

She sighed. "I'm sorry Todoh-san, but I can't answer any questions about my client." She turned to walk away.

"What about the girl?" He almost sounded desperate. "Her name was Kyoko-chan." He hastily added.

She turned back to him. "Why are you asking about her?"

He sighed again. He knew that he would have to answer truthfully or, he wouldn't get her cooperation. He approached her and quietly spoke. "Is there anywhere we can go that's a little less out in the open?"

She nodded and pointed to her car. "How about we have coffee?"

He followed her and both entered her car.

"I really don't know very much about her, but I will tell you what I can. I'm a little worried about her." Shoko told him as they slowly pulled out of the parking garage. "Why are you looking for her?"

He looked up from his hands that were in his lap with a sad smile. "Eleven years ago, Sho Fuwa's uncle, Ken'Ichi Katagiri suggested to her mother that his sister would happily take care of Kyoko-chan. The summer of when she was six years-old we were told that she had died of pneumonia. I have recently heard some very disturbing things through a few connections that I have and I really don't think that's the case." He explained.

Aki Shoko glanced over at him as they pulled into the drive-through to order their coffee. They ordered, paid and continued to drive around.

It was silent for a little longer. "So what's your interest in this girl? Why would the Fuwas lie to you? And what does this have to do with me?"

He took a sip of his coffee and decided to answer. "She was my daughter and I failed her and her mother. I can't tell you why I suspect that the Fuwas lied, but I think that their son brought my daughter with him when he came to Tokyo. I need to find her, she's in danger."

She pulled over near a park. She turned to him and decided to tell him what Sho had said and done. "Todoh-san... You really aren't going to like this, if she really is your daughter, but..." She told him about what Sho had done, how he treated Kyoko and what he said casually about his parent's business.

Susumu's eyes closed and he bit back the anger.

"I don't know where she went after that night. Sho told me that she moved out and he hasn't been able to find her since. He doesn't know that I know, his uncle and father have been calling him and telling him to find her. Initially I thought it was out of concern for her safety, but the more that I think about it, it would probably be in her best interest if she's never found. It's the primary reason that I've been lying to Sho about helping him look for her. I have a really bad feeling about it." She confessed.

He turned to her and he looked decidedly less worried. "Thank you Shoko-san. I have someone that may want to speak to you." He handed her a card with a police detective's name in Kyoto on it. "Please be very discrete if you decide to speak to this person. With the little that you already know, you're already in danger." He informed her and she nodded shakily. "Please keep this conversation from your client."

"Of course." Her heart was beating like the wings of a hummingbird and she felt a little sick to her stomach as she watched the man exit her car and disappear into the darkness of the park. "What did I get myself into?" She groaned as she locked her doors and started her car back up. She really didn't want to go home and face the little degenerate that would be there until tomorrow evening.

Susumu pulled out his phone and sent a text.

 **Princess: _Fairy-chan Alive... Hidden... -_ Kaz**

He then erased all traces of the number and the sent text, looked up at the full moon and smiled.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9**_

* * *

Aki Shoko sat in the parking lot of the small convenience store staring at her phone and came to a decision. A decision that she knew would probably affect quite a few people. She got out of her car, locked it and strode in to make a purchase, then left the tiny store to spend the night at a nearby hotel. She was not going back to her apartment as long as Sho was going to be there. She needed privacy for what she was going to do.

One hour later, one would find the efficient manager sitting at the little table in her hotel room in front of her laptop, emailing Sho's schedule for the next day to him and reminding him that he needed to be on time and also out of her apartment by the evening. She then pulled out her new purchase, unwrapped it and turned it on. She then entered the phone number on the business card that was given to her into the prepaid cell phone and dialed.

For nearly an hour she answered the questions that Detective Takahara had asked and finally promised that she would report anything else new that she discovered from the boy. She would remain his manager until she was relieved of that duty to keep him informed. After the conversation was finished, she turned off the new phone and tucked it safely, with both business cards, into one of the deepest pockets of her bag and pulled out her regular phone to make arrangements with her landlord to have the locks on her door changed the next evening. She did not want him anywhere near her apartment when the inevitable happened.

* * *

" _ **Hey Moko, you want to stay the night at my place tonight?"**_ Setsu asked casually as they walked down the halls of the office building where she had just finished her magazine interview.

" _ **Mo! Why do you keep calling me that?"**_ Kanae growled and Cain held back a chuckle.

Setsu just gave her a confused look. _**"Well... It's just you say Mo a lot."**_

Kanae bit back the retort.

" _ **And I think friends should have special names for each other."**_ She grinned mischievously and Cain nodded in agreement.

Kanae rolled her eyes. _**"You two are weird."**_ She shook her head and Yuki chuckled.

"You have no idea Kotonami-san." He smiled.

* * *

She kind of liked the girl. She wasn't sure what it was about this one. She just kind of grew on a person and made you feel comfortable around her, even with her laid back foreign attitude and her strangely strong affection towards her brother. Kanae supposed that she could understand Setsuka's clinginess towards Cain, seeing that they only had each other and all, but there was something a little bit off. It was more like they were friends turned lovers, not siblings. She shook that thought off. Why would a couple decide to disguise themselves as siblings? It was just too strange.

There were other things she found strange about them too. They looked nothing alike. Perhaps they were step-siblings or, adopted or, maybe they were just so close that they decided to declare themselves as siblings. She was told they didn't have parents and it could very well be a possibility. She had known children in her less affluent neighborhood that belonged to the orphanage down the road. There were many there that claimed sibling status with each other, maybe it was that way for the Heel siblings.

She was completely blown away when they arrived at the Takarada Estate. Sure she had seen places like it in magazines and on television, but she never dreamed she would be sleeping over with her new friend in a place like that. She groaned inwardly, hoping that the girl was nothing like others that she had met that had money.

" _ **Where's he going?"**_ She asked as she watched Cain leave.

Setsuka looked up, after hanging her jacket in the coat room. _**"Oh... Um, Cain's going home. He doesn't live here."**_

" _ **He's your brother, why not?"**_ Kanae was really curious now.

Setsuka took her hand and proceeded to lead Kanae up the stairs to her assigned room. _ **"I'm only staying here until I find a place to stay. Mr. Takarada was kind enough to give me a room until then."**_

Kanae nodded. _**"Oh..."**_ She didn't feel so out of place now. At least she had a place of her own, even if she did have to run from her family to enjoy it.

" _ **Um... Do you mind if I think of you as a best friend? I've never really had any female friends and well..."**_ Setsuka sounded nervous. A state of her that Kanae was not used to.

Kanae shook her head. _ **"I suppose. It's not like I have a ton of friends either."**_ She told her as she sat on Setsuka's bed and watched her shut and lock her bedroom door.

Setsuka sat down and sighed. "Sometimes I feel like I'm in a cage, but this is the only place I'm safe. I'm sorry Moko-san. You are one of my only friends and I can't lie to you."

Kanae looked at her in confusion. Since when did this girl speak like this and know Japanese? "Setsuka?"

Kyoko shook her head and pulled out her contact lens case, then removed the lenses. She blinked and gave Kanae the most pained look. "My name is Kyoko. I... Um, I don't know my surname. No one ever told me."

"Why are you like this?" Kanae asked taking in her Setsuka image.

Kyoko looked at the floor in shame. "It's for my protection. Someone is looking for me right now and Takarada-san felt that this was the best way to keep me safe for awhile."

"Protection? Who's looking for you?" Kanae was a little worried now for her new friend.

Kyoko sighed and told her everything from the beginning. Something she hadn't done for months. The only other person that knew the entire truth had been Jelly Woods. Certainly Kuon knew quite a bit, but certainly not all of the _ugly_ little details; although, she suspected that he did without her having to mention them.

She felt a pair of strong female arms wrap around her and hug her tightly. _**"I promise your secrets are safe with me Setsuka Heel. If that bastard or, his family ever come near you again... they will have to go through me... and Cain, I suppose.**_ _(She smirked at that one.)_ _ **"**_ Kanae declared with conviction, adding another mental strike against that arrogant ass that groped her.

* * *

The pair sat quietly in the little coffee shop, texting back and forth between each other to keep their conversation private. They couldn't risk anyone overhearing what was said.

 **Princess: Fairy-chan's alive?** (She was quietly shedding the tears that had been stored up for over 10 years.)

(He smiled softly.) **Kaz: I think so. Fake Prince brought her with him.**

 **Princess: Where is she?** (She looked up at him expectantly while drying her eyes.)

 **Kaz: Don't know yet, but have a spy in the royal court that says they've met her.** (He smirked, stood and sat next to her in the little booth.)

 **Princess: How do we find her? How do we help?** (She gave him a worried look.)

 **Kaz: Captain Of The Guard is investigating. Will let us know when he makes any discoveries he can reveal. For now we keep silent to keep her safe.** They cleared their phones of the conversation and he put his phone back in his pocket, then pulled her closer to him for comfort. He lay his head on hers and gently rubbed her shoulder, then kissed her temple gently.

"Don't worry Sae-chan, things will work out. We just have to be patient." He murmured.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Chapter 10**_

* * *

What it was now boiling down to, was a very precarious situation for Sho Fuwa. He was now receiving calls from his father and his uncle daily, to put the pressure on him. He would need to get serious about it soon. He didn't think his own father would send anyone after him, he was the heir to the Fuwa legacy. His uncle, he wasn't so sure about though. Ken'Ichi Katagiri was all business and had no problem with eliminating trouble when it came to protecting himself and Sho's mother. Ken'Ichi never liked Ryuu Fuwa in the first place and to remove the tie that bound his sister to him wouldn't be a problem for him. Sho quickly found this out when he received a discrete visit from a couple of associates of his uncle the morning after his little fallout with Aki Shoko.

The incentive he had received was very convincing and easily covered. He winced at the pain of the newly forming bruises on his back, legs and ribs as he readied himself for his first appointment of the day. He groaned at the thought of needing to get all of his things from Shoko's apartment in the afternoon and the fact that he would need to find his own apartment immediately. He wasn't comfortable just staying in a random hotel room for a few days. There just wasn't enough security in those places. Not that it really mattered. His uncle's goons would probably be able to gain access to anywhere he found.

He turned on his phone to text Aki to ask why she didn't come home last night and discovered her text with his scheduling. _She was really serious about all of this._ He started composing his request for her to clear his schedule so he could find Kyoko, get that miserable little bitch back to where she belonged and remove the thorn in his side that she had become.

He wondered if he should just go to the police and tell them everything he knew, so he could live his life in peace and be the celebrity that he wanted. He had to admit that it would take care of most of his problems. The Kyoko thing would be solved, as far as he was concerned and his family would be out of his life. The thought that he would need protection and anonymity had never crossed his mind, if he truly wanted to live. But, when did Sho Fuwa ever really think over the things that he did? Here or, in any other reality.

* * *

Aki Shoko sat nervously as the older, homely man eyed her lasciviously in his office. Ken'Ichi Katagiri had summoned his nephew's manager to find out what the little cur was actually up to. The man didn't seem to know what boundaries meant when it came to the entertainment world. He seemed to believe that he actually had authority where she was concerned and he was flexing his powerful connections to try and get answers from her.

"Shoko-chan..." His voice was saccharine and it sent an uncomfortable chill up her spine. "It's so nice to have you in my office today. Do you know why you're here."

Being an actress and a model for years before becoming a manager, she was able to school her expressions and hide her thoughts adeptly. "I can't say that I do Katagiri-sensei. Is there a problem with my management of Sho?"

He smirked and shook his head as he pulled a manila folder from his desk and sat it neatly in front of her. He motioned for her to look. Aki's eyes went wide when she discovered the contents. "As you see here, I believe I have enough evidence to bring you in-line with the task at hand. Do you know what I need?" She could imagine slitted reptilian eyes on the man and they wouldn't be out of place.

She shook her head. "I honestly don't know what you mean to do with these misleading photos."

He laughed and shook his head. "Oh... No, nothing really. If you choose to cooperate. If not, I will release them to your agency and to the news media. Then I will imply that you have been having an affair with a minor and your career will be over." He threatened.

She closed her eyes and took in a deep calming breath. She knew that allowing Sho to hang all over her would someday come back to bite her in the ass. "What do you need me to do?"

He smiled triumphantly. "I knew you were smart. Most women have trouble understanding simple concepts." Now she knew where Sho got his piggishness. "What I need you to do, is assist Shotaro in finding the girl he brought to Tokyo with him. I'm sure you met her. His parents are very worried about her and would like for her to be returned to them." The request sounded very genuine; however, Aki had been communicating with Inspector Takahara and a few others and knew the truth of it all. It was disgusting. There was no way she was going to lead any of them to that innocent girl. "You see, she's like a daughter to them and they miss her terribly." His feigned concern was sickening.

She nodded, put on her best fake smile and leaned forward. "Sensei, you really don't even need to ask. Of course I'll help. Do you have a photo of her? I'm sure I've never really met her. If I have, I'm certain that it wasn't very memorable." She lied.

He sat back in his chair, satisfied with her cooperation. "I'm sorry, but we have no current photos of her." He told her. They really couldn't release the ones they did have. Everything would come tumbling down on top of them if they allowed those photos outside of the brothel. At the moment, they were safely stored on a secured server with limited access only available to a privileged few that were willing to pay a nice sum for them.

"Well, that does make it more difficult. I'm not sure what you want me to do in that case. If I don't know what she looks like, then how am I supposed to find her?" She asked logically.

His smile became a little feral and caused an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Oh, I'm sure you and Shotaro will figure something out."

She certainly didn't like the sound of that. It sounded more like a threat than an innocent statement. She nodded.

"You can leave now Aki-chan. I'm sure you two have a very busy day ahead of you." He waved her off and turned back to his computer.

* * *

She sat in her car, in the parking garage of Queen Records and combed over the events of the morning in her mind. She would definitely need to be more careful from this point on. She was certain that this man would not leave anything to chance and most likely have her and Sho watched. She discreetly pulled the untraceable phone from her bag, turned it on and sent a text to the only phone number on it explaining what had happened. She waited for several minutes for a responding text, telling her the original had been received, to be cautious and thanking her for the new information. She then quickly turned off the phone and stored it away safely.

It was minutes later when she heard a sharp knock on the window and she nearly jumped out of her skin. Sho's brow furrowed and he fought to keep the pain from his injuries from showing on his face or, in his movements. "Where were you?" He almost sounded a little concerned. She didn't need to know that his uncle's goons had made a few extra threats regarding her.

She shook her head. "You're uncle wanted me to help you find Kyoko-chan." She said dryly and he paled.

That was it! He didn't need them stepping into his professional life too. Shoko was off limits! "I don't need help with that." He tried to remain calm but his anger was starting to surface and he was starting to resemble something a little more demonic than angelic and not in an attractive way.

She sighed as she pondered his behavior and the way he was carrying himself. He seemed a little more guarded today. "Are you okay? Didn't you sleep last night?" She was still his manager and a woman. She was still concerned about his health.

"I'm fine." He told her as he helped her from her car and closed the door. "Hurry up or, we'll be late for the meeting with Asami-san for my Prisoner PV." He commanded and walked up ahead of her to the elevators.

Aki sighed at his chauvinistic behavior and followed. "I suppose I shouldn't expect too much." She mumbled to herself.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Chapter 11**_

* * *

The dark-haired, tall, blue-eyed male stepped into his office that he shared with his partner in work and life. He removed his black suit jacket and loosened his black tie. He sat roughly in his desk chair and rested his feet on his desk. The female scowled and gave him a scolding glare. "Agent Sommers... Kindly remove your feet from that desk or, I will remove them for you." Her normally sweet voice lilted menacingly.

He chuckled and did as commanded. He may have out-ranked her at work, but she was the boss at home and he did not want to rock the boat. "Alright, calm down. Do we have anything more on that Reseda case?" He asked as he booted up his computer and thumbed through his planner.

She pulled the new files from her in-box on the side of her desk and began going through the new information. Coming to the last of six new files, she noticed one with a red marker on it. She opened it and smiled. She nodded. "Rick... We have a big lead and there may be a witness." She announced.

He looked up at her in surprise. "Witness? Where?"

She smirked.

"Come on Tina, stop keeping me in suspense." He begged.

She smiled brightly and flashed two plane tickets that had been resting in the folder. "How do you feel about Tokyo?"

He chuckled. "So they've already made arrangements with the locals?"

She nodded. "Yup and they are willing to give their full cooperation as long as they get to prosecute first."

He raised an eyebrow. That was a very good thing. If Japan wanted them first, those pedophilic, murdering bastards would never see the light of day again. "I can live with that." He said casually. "Agent Martin, I love you. When do we leave?"

"We can go tonight. Wanna call Kuon and let him know you'll be in town?" She asked as she began adding the new information into the old case file.

"Meh, we'll just surprise him. Pretty Boy can't be too busy bodyguarding all of those beautiful little starlets." He laughed and she shook her head. She had suspected there was more to Kuon's job than he was letting on a long time ago. She had heard rumors of Lory Takarada's philanthropic side. There was definitely more to that man than just his eccentricities.

* * *

It now had been over six months since her journey towards the light began and she discovered that her fairy prince was also her protector. It was now December and very close to her original birthday; however, she would not be celebrating it. Setsuka Heel was not born on Christmas day. Setsuka Heel was born on June 3rd in a beauty salon called _**Magix**_. Although, that wasn't going to stop Kuon from showering the girl he was falling in love with in gifts and pampering her as she so richly deserved.

Things were getting complicated and Lory could see that both of them deeply cared for each other. It broke his heart to think that they would possibly be separated after the two FBI agents came to question her, along with the NPA. He wasn't sure they would allow Kuon to go with her, if they decided to relocate her until everything was taken care of, if anything was ever taken care of. Considering the scope of it all, he doubted that Kuon's heart would come out unscathed in the next few months. He had mentioned this to Kuon most recently and the boy just blew it off and told him not to worry about it.

"Ruto, send in Agents Martin and Sommers, please." He told his faithful assistant and bodyguard.

Ruto silently nodded and left the room.

 _ **~xoxo~**_

Ryuu Fuwa was livid. He was so angry he was seeing black after he saw the commercial for a new perfume called _**Secrets**_. His son may have been a clueless idiot that couldn't see what was standing in front of him, but he was not. One tends to remember what their property looks like when they have to pay almost 11 million yen for it. They remember every line and developing curve of the body that they trained and molded personally. Setsuka Heel was Kyoko and he was going to make a little trip to bring her to heel. He would make certain that in the last moments of that girl's life, she would remember who her master was, but first he needed to remind his son who the head of the family actually was.

* * *

Rick shook his head. "Well shit Kuon... You really don't do anything by halves, do you?" He chuckled wryly.

Kuon sat in the seat across from his old friend with the most lost look on his face, after he was informed that she would be taken into custody and relocated. "Isn't there anything you can do?"

It made Rick's heart clench. He couldn't remember Kuon ever behaving like this for a female. "Is she that girl you told me about when you were little?" He asked after a long silence.

Kuon nodded, still hiding his face in his hands. "What do I do?" He asked quietly.

Rick leaned back in his seat and sighed. "Oh man." He breathed out. He looked up at the ornately decorated, vaulted ceiling of the library where they had decided to retire to. "Dude, short of you marrying her and giving everything up to go with her... I really don't see a solution." He commented offhandedly.

Kuon's eyes went wide. "I'll do it!"

Rick shook his head and chuckled. "Come on Kuon, do you really know her well enough to do something like that?"

Kuon looked at him with determination. "Rick, I've spent every waking moment with her for the past six months. I know her better than myself at this point and she knows me. As for giving up everything? I don't have much without her."

Rick shook his head again. "Man... You have it bad. Let me talk to Tina and see what she has to say about all of this. Maybe we can work something out. I can't guarantee that there will be anything for you if it happens though."

Kuon let out a sigh of relief. "I trust you man. If I have to, I'll do everything myself. Just... I can't do it without her."

Rick leaned forward and patted him on the knee. "Okay, okay. I get it. I might be able to use the excuse that you have to go with her because you know what she knows. That might give them a little extra incentive to include you when relocating her. The fact that you're a licensed bodyguard that they won't have to pay, is a definite plus."

 _ **~xoxo~**_

"Meet me at the airport at 7:15 am tomorrow morning you little piece of shit or, I'll slit your throat myself." A sinisterly familiar male voice lilted over his phone line without identifying himself.

Sho paled. He knew exactly who it was. "Y-Yes Sir." He croaked out and the line immediately went dead. _**"FUCK!... FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!"**_ Even through all of the big, teen-aged fueled talk and the posturing that he did around his manager over his family, he still feared the man with every fiber of his being. Shotaro Fuwa knew the man meant business and after the many beatings and lessons he had been taught over his short life, he had learned to respect the man out of fear. He knew without a doubt that the man would kill him in an instant if he thought for a moment that Sho would betray him or, the family and what he had done by stealing Kyoko, was right on the cusp of that. He had made it clear to Sho many times over the years that she belonged to him and Sho had taken that treasure from his grasp and used her as his own. Now he was going to have to face the man directly and take his punishment, no matter what it was. His entire body was one big frayed nerve at the thought.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Chapter 12**_

* * *

He felt like a complete jackass for admitting all of that to Rick. He hadn't even told Kyoko that he loved her yet. He wasn't even sure if she would accept him after everything that had happened to her. He groaned at his impulsiveness and wanted to hide in a dark hole somewhere. Maybe take her with him so no one could find her? _There was a thought. No... She would never go for something like that. Would she? Argh!_

He stared down at the large bloomed rose he held and wondered if it was a smart thing to write what he had on the message card. The message was simple, impulsive and to the point. _"I love you. - Kuon."_ He was debating on whether he should just rip the card off and forget about it. Maybe not tell her anything until they knew for certain if he could go with her. If she did love him as much as he did her, wouldn't she suffer knowing that they would probably never see each other ever again? She did seem like she cared. They had grown considerably closer over the months of taking care of each other. He had cared for her when she broke her ankle by tripping at a photo-shoot in the mountains at that old ryokan and she had nursed him back to health when he had that fever a few months ago. His first that he could remember. It was the first time he had ever tasted her cooking. It was the first time in his life he had ever had an appetite. That meant something. Didn't it?

He groaned internally as he stood in the entry hall of the Takarada Estate with Kyoko's rose and the little treasure it carried, along with Maria's hair tie. He eyed the message card on the rose for the 85th time in the last three hours and nervously decided to leave it there. If it bothered her, he would just tell her that he wouldn't be offended or hurt if she didn't return his feelings. It wouldn't be the truth, but he would power through it and hope for better days, like Rick had suggested.

* * *

Kyoko was a bundle of nerves. For the past six months she had been Setsuka Heel, Cain Heel's little sister. Neither of them had made the decision of whether or, not she was a blood relation yet. There were many nights that she sometimes felt that it was so much more than what they wanted it to seem and then there were those times when he truly treated her like a little sister. It was confusing, to say the very least.

She had at one time believed that Sho loved her but we all know how that turned out and she wasn't quite sure she trusted her own judgment on this matter. What she felt for Kuon was far beyond what she had ever felt for Sho, emotionally. Sometimes she truly felt like she couldn't breathe when he had left her side and she knew she never felt that dependent upon Sho or, anyone else for that matter.

She was nervous about tonight firstly, because Kuon had told her he had something important to give her; secondly, Lory had told her that tomorrow the FBI and the NPA wanted to speak to her about her life at the Fuwa Ryokan; and finally, holding back these feelings for Kuon had just gotten exhausting. She wasn't 100% sure that these strong feelings were completely of love, but she was just tired of holding it all in and restraining herself around him. She wasn't sure how much longer she could hide it, but now that she put more thought into it, perhaps she did love him.

She wondered if he actually felt the same. Did he hold back like she did? Did he wish to touch her as much as she wanted to touch him? Would he be contented to just be in her arms like she felt every time he held her? Well, she would find out tonight. She was tired of her life being completely out of her control and this was something that she could finally do on her own without the risk of someone wanting to punish or, kill her for her decision. He wasn't a client, he was someone that she picked. He was someone that she wanted to hold and do things for, without being paid for it for once. Without having to be emotionless. Where everything would be for love, not money.

* * *

"Where's that stupid whore of a manager of yours I've been hearing about from Ken?" His father asked him gruffly as he tossed his suitcase on the guest bed and turned to his cowed son.

Sho's brow furrowed. "Respected Father... She is not a whore. She is a very good manager and she doesn't live with me. She says it would be bad for my image." He told him as calmly as possible so the angry man wouldn't take it wrong and think his son was being disrespectful.

Ryuu snorted. "You know nothing boy. That's _**all**_ they're good for. Why do you think I don't bring that worthless hag that spat you from her loins with me?" He commented as he left the bedroom to look for some sake.

An hour later, he found himself host to his father and three of his goons drunken and splayed on his furniture, talking about old times. Talking about what they would do to a whore that decided to think for herself. He finally remembered why he had left that shit-hole and took Kyoko with him. At the time, it wasn't just for his decision to become famous. One of the many reasons is that he saw so much potential in her and he couldn't stand seeing her used like that. In the end, much to his own shame as he sat watching these dirt-bags that surrounded him, he had lost sight of that. He had grown complacent and spoiled. He wanted to say it was her fault that he forgot, but now he saw that it was all him.

His father looked at him and scowled. "Where is she?"

Sho straightened his posture and tried to paste on the most oblivious looking mask he could think of. "Respected Father... I've been searching for her. I haven't found her yet." Which was true.

Ryuu's hand flew back and came to him strongly and sharply. It was the hardest he had ever hit the boy in his entire life. It was a hit that Sho knew that Ryuu saved only for his whores and the men that betrayed him. Ryuu stood up and crossed the room where Sho had fallen and towered over him and with each new word he spoke, he punctuated it with a strong kick. **"YOU... LITTLE... BASTARD... I... FUCKING... KNOW... THAT... SHE... IS... SETSUKA... HEEL!"** Ryuu lifted the battered teen by his shirt and flung him across the room. "Now, if you want to live to see tomorrow, you will tell me where she is and you will take me there." He knelt next to him and told him in a low, even, deceptively calm voice, then patted him on the head.

* * *

"Happy Birthday, Kyoko-chan." He smiled softly as they sat quietly, secluded in the sitting room and he handed her the Queen Rosa rose he had picked specifically for her at the florist in the early evening after dinner.

She looked up at him in stunned silence. No one had ever given her anything, except for this rose and the stone he had given her when they were younger. She sniffled. "Thank you, Kuon." She smiled softly and noticed the small card with it.

He stayed her hand from opening the card just yet. "Kyoko-chan, before you read the card... I would like you to know that you don't have to say anything right now. I just want you to know." He gently pulled his hand back and braced himself for the unknown.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Chapter 13**_

* * *

Her features softened and a small smile crossed her lips as tears started streaming down her cheeks. "Kuon, I..."

The lights went out and the alarms began to sound off. Kuon quickly pulled her into his arms, protectively. "Stay with me. If I say run, you run as fast as you can and hide. You don't come out until I tell you to. If I say get behind me, you do it. Got it?" She nodded silently to his whispered commands as they were bathed in the glow of the red emergency lighting. "Okay, now get behind me and stay there. Stay as close as possible. Okay?" She nodded quietly.

Their ears were assaulted by the scream of a female child and a gunshot.

"Kuon... Maria." Kyoko began sobbing.

 _ **~xoxo~**_

Sho hated himself for ever being born to this man. He had never had so much self-loathing than at this moment, as he held the sobbing 8 year-old in his arms. "Sh... sh... it's okay. We're only here for Setsuka." He tried to calm her.

Ryuu turned to him. "Shut that little whore up or, I'll put a bullet in her too." He spat out.

Sho nodded sharply as looked down at the man dressed in Arabic robes that was now laying on the floor unconscious.

Maria looked up at him and stifled her sobs and saw the fear in the teen's eyes when the evil man spoke to him. She looked over at Ruto and noticed that he was still breathing. If he was still breathing, it meant that he was still alive and he would protect her.

"Just do what he tells you to do. I promise you won't get hurt. Okay?" Sho tried to reassure her but in a situation like this, he was completely at a loss.

Maria nodded quietly, fighting back her tears. These evil men had broken into her house to steal away and hurt her Onee-sama. Thousands of things had flashed through her mind on what to do, but Ruto had always told her that bad men wouldn't care about snakes or spiders and if they had guns, she should just be a good girl and wait for him to make his move. She was scared now. Scared for Ruto, for Papa, for Onee-sama, for Ren-sama and most of all for Grandfather and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. The despair fell over her like a wave of mud.

 _ **~xoxo~**_

In the grand entryway stood Ryuu Fuwa, Shotaro and 15 of the men his father had gathered together. Ruto was laying unconscious on the floor and Maria was being held in Sho's arms. He would have hoped that his father wouldn't go so far as to kill a child like he had threatened, but his father seemed so desperate to get to Kyoko at this point, and either take her back or eliminate the threat she posed, he wasn't certain what he was capable of.

Ryuu yanked Maria out of Sho's arms and pulled her to him and Maria let out a sharp, surprised yelp. "My sweet little Kyoko-chan." His voice carried through the halls and to her ears. "If you don't come out, I'll just have to let this little one take your place." He smirked lasciviously and dragged his disgusting tongue up Maria's neck and Sho wanted to vomit from the display. "Ahhhh... Almost tastes the same. Young and sweet. I may just take her with me anyway."

Kuon fought to keep Kyoko behind him, but she slipped out the door and ran. "Shit!"

" _ **NO!**_ No Papa, don't! I-I'll go with you! I promise. Just please, let her go. I'll do everything you say." Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she blindly ran to Maria, calling him by the name he had always demanded of her.

Sho looked on in horror as he watched his father drop the child and strike the girl hard enough to knock her out and cause immediate bruising on her face. Ryuu turned to him. "See, that wasn't so hard now was it?" He asked Sho as one of the burly men that had come with them, slung Kyoko over his shoulder and walked out.

Maria ran into the sitting room close by and into Kuon's arms crying inconsolably. "Shh... Shh... It's okay, we'll get her back. Okay?" He hoped they would, but his heart was shattering at his failure to keep her safe. The one thing he had vowed to do.

" _ **LIGHT IT UP MEN!"**_ Ryuu called out and Kuon could hear the sounds of liquid splashing on marble tile, then the _FWOOSH_ of the beginning of an inferno.

* * *

Kuon ripped two strips of cloth from his shirt and doused them in the tea he and Kyoko had been drinking before they were invaded. He wrapped one around Maria's face and the other around his. He hoisted the child into his arms and quickly began looking for a way out.

"Kuon! Over here!" He heard and saw Lory signaling to him as Kouki pulled Ruto into a fireman's carry. "There's a way out, back here. Where's Kyoko?"

Kuon was silent and shook his head. "She ran out when they grabbed Maria. I couldn't stop her." His voice was gravelly and filled with remorse.

Lory patted him on the back. "We'll get her back Kuon, but for now we need to get to safety."

Kuon shook his head. He knew the likelihood of finding her body floating in the bay tomorrow was high.

* * *

Sho had a significant amount of time on the two hour drive to the small house his father had reserved specifically for the punishment of the unconscious girl in the backseat of the car. The bastard had dismissed his men and decided to teach Shotaro how to take care of a woman. Sho was disgusted at the thought, and the moment he saw his father bind her to a dining room chair in the basement then hand him his gun as he began loosening his belt and unfastening his pants, he made a decision.

 _ **SLAP!**_

"Wake up bitch! I want to see your eyes when I fuck your sweet little mouth!" Ryuu's voice boomed throughout the room and Sho fought back the tears forming behind his eyes. Ryuu slapped her again and she slowly came out of her stupor. "There we go. That's what I want to see." He hardened and Sho felt the bile rise up in his throat as he saw what could be his future self.

The moment Ryuu stood before the restrained and terrified female, he felt cold hard metal on the back of his head, a metallic click and the room went black.

Kyoko screamed in terror as little bits of bone fragment, blood, and grey matter pelted her. The despicable man that stood before her fell to his knees and slumped to the ground. She felt her limbs being freed and a familiar voice trying to calm her. "Hurry up Kyoko-chan, we have to leave." Sho pulled her up and half-carried her up the stairs and to the car that he and his father had arrived in. He quickly pushed her into the car, buckled her in and ran to the other side. Once in, he buckled himself and started the car as his shocked passenger sat in silence with tears streaming down her face.

"Sh-Sho... What did you do?" She asked quietly as they drove down the dirt road back in the direction of Tokyo.

Sho chuckled wryly. "I rid this world of a piece of shit. That's what I did Kyoko."

"W-Where are you taking me?" He could hear the fear in her voice. It was breaking his heart. He had never intended for her to fear him like she did his father.

"I'm taking you somewhere where you can be safe." He told her and the ride remained silent under the night sky until they reached their final destination, the main office of the NPA in downtown Tokyo.

She looked out the window and back at Sho with worry. "Sh-Sho... You can't go in there. They'll arrest you after what happened tonight." She plead with him.

He sighed and turned off the car, released his and her seatbelts, pulled her into his arms and kissed her. "I know, Kyoko-chan. You don't deserve this. You don't deserve everything my family has done to you and you certainly don't deserve the hell I put you through. I hope one day you'll see me as a friend. I'm sorry Kyoko-chan, please forgive me." He told her as he left the car, opened her door and pulled her out. "Come on, we have to get you safe." He finished softly as he pulled her into the looming building and ended their night with his arrest and her return.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Chapter 14**_

* * *

Through the night there had been no word of what was happening in various locations all over Japan. Seven Fuwa-owned brothels, child pornography rings and human trafficking establishments came tumbling to the ground. It was like a precise lightening strike in each location, all coordinated simultaneously with the NPA and FBI. It was done and all was done as a young man sat in a holding cell cuffed and quietly accepting his unplanned future while the female he had rescued, sat begging every agent that passed, to release him. Before the night completely ended, he would have to explain to her that he wasn't being arrested for anything that took place that night. His punishments were to be for what he had participated in before they left Kyoto. She finally understood and accepted.

Ken'Ichi Katagiri's office would be ransacked and emptied as the man stood by and watched in cuffs. Yayoi Fuwa would be escorted out of her precious ryokan with her faithful employees, as the entertainment was gathered, interviewed and processed to be returned to the families that believed they were dead or, missing. The records in the offices of Ryuu Fuwa would be collected and all of his faithful and frequent customers would be contacted, served and arrested for prosecution in Japan and the US. That night had yielded the largest international crime bust that either country had ever seen and the agencies involved would have evidence to prosecute many for years to come.

* * *

At 2:52 am, Kuon Hizuri received a call that sent him flying out the door of Lory Takarada's temporary abode and down the road to one of the many tall buildings in downtown Tokyo. At 3:00 am, Susumu Todoh and Saena Mogami would receive a call that they had never believed they would receive and quickly dressed, then left for the same building.

The world faded away around her as he saw her beautiful visage sitting in the seat next to the desk that Agent Tina Martin had been temporarily assigned while staying in Japan. His heart warmed when he saw her laughing and smiling at the woman his best friend was partnered with. He watched as Rick sat a cup of hot cocoa in front of her. She looked up at Rick, smiled, nodded yes to a question he had asked and thanked him. Rick laughed and pointed in Kuon's direction. Kuon's heart stopped when her wide, beautiful golden eyes fell upon him. Even with the bruises, she was still stunning in his eyes.

Everything seemed as though it were in slow-motion as she stood from her seat with teary eyes and ran to him, flinging herself into his arms, and sobbing. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Kuon." She cried over and over. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you I love you. I'm sorry I worried you. You and Maria were the only thing I could think of when I ran. I'm so sorry."

He chuckled and kissed her damp hair, scented with the shampoo that Tina had given her to use to wash out the blood, bits of brain and bone fragments. "Shh... Shh... It's okay. I understand why you did it." He pulled away from her to make sure that she had no other injuries than what he could see. "Are you okay?"

She nodded and buried herself in his warm chest once again.

"Kyoko... I love you too, but please don't ever do anything that reckless again. I don't think my heart can take it. I'm sorry I couldn't keep you safe." He was fighting back his own tears as he told her.

She shook her head. "Kuon... Had I not gone, he would have killed Maria. I had to go."

He hugged her more tightly. "How did you escape?"

She looked up at him, furrowed her brow and a wave of sadness hit her instantly. "Sh-Sho saved me. Fuwa-sama was going to...(her breath hitched in a sob.) and Sho stopped him. He brought me here and turned himself in." She finished in tears.

Tina had overheard the last of their conversation, moved to comfort the girl and explain to Kuon the details that Kyoko had problems with, after she showed them to an empty lounge where they could be comfortable. "I thought it would be best discussed in private. More comfortable for you both." She told them as she handed Kuon a coffee and brought Kyoko the hot cocoa that Rick had given her. She looked at Kyoko. "It's alright Kyoko-chan, Fuwa-san told me everything." and with that, she filled Kuon in on what had happened and why Sho was being arrested.

* * *

"Agent Sommers? How did you know to call us?" Susumu Todoh asked as he held the woman that had accompanied him closely.

Rick smiled a small understanding smile. "I was notified by the NPA office in Kyoto of the records that the Fuwas kept on their prisoners and your daughter's name came to the forefront. An investigator that you had contact with... Hmm, let's see... Isamu Takahara, I believe..." He looked through his notes. "Yes, here it is. Inspector Takahara had noted that you were in contact with him regarding your case. My friend Kuon is her bodyguard. She's been staying with Lory Takarada, the CEO and owner of LME and LME International since she parted with Shotaro Fuwa. She's one of his talents. She's been going under the name of Setsuka Heel for a little over six months now." He explained.

Saena let out a nervous laugh. "I should have known when I saw her Susu. I thought she looked familiar. How could I not know my own daughter." She started crying. It had been the first time in years that dam had broken and he knew just to let it happen and be there for her.

"Neither of us knew, Sae-chan. We both believed she was dead. I'm just as guilty." He shook his head and murmured comforting words to her.

Rick cleared his throat. "Would you like to see her?" Rick asked delicately.

Saena looked up at him apprehensively. "I-I don't know if I should. I let this happen to her." She gave Susumu a worried look. "She's going to hate me."

Susumu caressed her cheek. "Koibito, she will not hate you. You had no way of knowing what would happen. You were betrayed by someone we both trusted, just like she was." He reassured her.

She turned to Rick and nodded. "If it's not too much trouble. If it won't be bothersome to her, I would like to see her." She told him quietly.

* * *

Rick stepped into the lounge and whispered something to Tina and she smiled. He turned to Kuon. "I need to ask you a few questions. Come with me."

Kuon nodded and left with him.

Tina turned to Kyoko and smiled softly as she took the now calm girl's hand. "Kyoko-chan, there's two very special people that are here to see you. They've been waiting for a very long time. Do you mind?"

Kyoko gave her a confused look and agreed.

"Good. I'll show them in and if you need me, I'll be standing right outside that door. Okay?" She told her in a gentle calm voice.

Kyoko gave her a quick nervous nod.

"Okay, I'll show them in for you." Tina told her as she left the room to begin the reunification of a family that had been torn asunder by a false death and many years of separation.

* * *

Kuon watched as the couple entered the room where he had just left only moments ago. Rick patted him on the back. "They were told she was dead when she was six." He commented. "They only found out she could possibly be alive the year before last. I guess her father had heard some rumors and seen some old documents that his boss had that raised his suspicions." Rick shook his head. "He's been working with the office in Kyoto and helping the investigation undercover for the past three years."

Kuon nodded and sat down a little roughly. "Wow..."

Rick slid the coffee back to him and encouraged him to drink. "You look beat." He chuckled.

Kuon snorted. "Well, a lot's happened in the past 24 hours."

"Sooo... Did you tell her?" Rick smirked mischievously.

Kuon rolled his eyes. "Yes..."

"Aaaannnddd? Come on Dude, give me the juicy details. What did she say?" He plead with him like a gossiping teen-aged girl.

"The response was favorable." He mumbled into the coffee cup.

"Yes! I told you man. It's magic!" He laughed and slapped Kuon's knee.

* * *

Kyoko stood nervously in the small room, wondering who could possibly be there to see her. Who it was that hadn't seen her in so long. A thought came to mind of any member of the Fuwa family or, Katagiri and she felt her chest tighten with anxiety. She felt faint.

"Kyoko-chan, your mother and father have been waiting to see you." Tina announced as she showed the nervous couple in.

Kyoko's brow furrowed in confusion at the words, while her eyes took in the sight of the man and woman that stood before her in silence as if they were fruit being inspected in a market for quality. Kyoko didn't recognize the man but the woman's face and eyes were familiar. She noticed the man's golden eyes that were almost identical to hers and tears started streaming down her bruised cheeks. "Mama?" She breathed out.

Saena gave her a small quick nod and her breath sharply exhaled. "Kyoko?" Her voice broken and filled with pain. "Kyoko?"

Kyoko nodded and both females rushed to each other's arms sobbing as the man wrapped them both in the comfort and protection of his own. "We missed you so much, Kyoko. We are so sorry we didn't find you sooner." He kissed their temples and whispered into Kyoko's hair.

"You're here now Okasan... Otousan." She murmured in a teary, contented voice.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Muahaha, I could be evil and end it here leaving the rest to feed your imagination. Hmmm, what to do? What to do? Teehee. JK guys I do plan on an Epilogue. I'm not nearly as evil as Sensei with her latest chapter release. LOL.**_


	15. Epilogue

_**Epilogue:**_

* * *

It had been 2 years, 1 month and 21 days since that fateful explosive night. There were 240 arrests, with a 100% conviction rate. The average sentence was 25 years in prison. There was one sentence that had been shortened to 18 months for the information, cooperation and testimony that aided in many of those arrests and convictions. The young man's name? Michael Shimizu. Taller than the average Japanese male, by a fraction. Dark hair and blue eyes. A cocky smile and sometimes an attitude to go with it. He was also a very talented musician with a bright future, that recently debuted, and an extremely competent manager that knew exactly how to keep him grounded and out of trouble; after all, she did have practice.

"Shoko-san~" He whined. "Where's my tie?"

Aki Shoko rolled her eyes and stomped into the 19 year-old's bedroom, flung open the closet door, skimmed through to the end of his extensive wardrobe and plucked a black, silk tie from its hanger. She stomped back to him in a huff and threw it in his face. "Do I have to tie it for you too?" She scowled.

He gave her a playful grin, pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly. "I love you, Aki."

Her hardened visage softened. "I love you too, Sho." She whispered quietly in his ear and blushed. "Hurry up, we're going to be late for the wedding."

* * *

"I can't do this!" The raven-haired female looked as thought she was going to hyperventilate.

"Yes, you can. You both have been waiting a long time for this and you are not going to back out now." The other raven-haired female told her as she helped her straighten the flowing white gown.

Panting heavily out of distress and nervousness she commanded. "Distract me. I think it will help."

The female dressed in purple silk smiled and nodded. "Hmmm, let's see... **_R'mandy_** renewed my contract and I just signed on with **_Secrets_ **to be their cover model for the next 3 years. Um... Kuon and Kanae passed the auditions for _**Secret Meadow**_ and he's going to be my male lead for his debut... Aaaannnddd..." She held up her left hand and flashed the sapphire and diamond-encrusted, platinum bauble on her ring finger.

Saena gasped. "You ungrateful child." She said playfully. "Why didn't you tell me?" She asked as she grabbed her hand and pulled it to her to examine the little treasure.

Kyoko giggled. "He asked me last night and I didn't want your day to focus on me. My mother and father finally getting married, isn't something that happens every day."

Saena pouted. "It's not every day my daughter gets engaged." She gave her a small smile.

 _ **KNOCK... KNOCK... KNOCK...**_

"Mogami-san, it's time." A male voice announced through the door and signaled a new chapter in their lives.

* * *

After the night of the fire, Lory Takarada realized the danger he had placed his family in with his interests. He didn't stop helping the unfortunates, he merely did it far more covertly. The concept of **_Magix_ **had worked for all intent and purpose, but he no longer personally took them in. It was decided that inconspicuous homes in several areas would be purchased, security would be installed in them and the appropriate measures would be taken to protect the residents. The would be provided with identities, food, shelter, health care, employment and the protection of the authorities in exchange for their cooperation.

The night of the fire had nearly killed him when he heard Maria's screams and that vile demon's voice declare what he had. It would never happen again.

* * *

 _ **~fin~**_


End file.
